When Magics Collide
by Marie-Claire
Summary: [Harry PotterCCS Crossover] Hello, people! I know this type of story's been done to death, but i assure you that this fic is different from all others! See for yourself. You'll know what i mean. : )
1. The Coming

To Fight Your Own Battles  
  
A CardCaptor Sakura and Harry Potter Crossover Fan fiction  
  
Prologue:  
  
"Who'd you think will be our Defense Against Dark Arts Teacher this year?" Ron Weasley asked, his flaming reddish-orange hair contrasting horribly with the paleness of his skin, spitting out a few flecks of the Chocolate Frog that he was currently chewing on.  
  
Hermione Granger sniffed at him. "Well, I certainly hope that it won't be that Umbridge woman. And close your mouth when you chew, would you?"  
  
Harry Potter, the two's closest friend ignored the glares that the pair sent at each other. "It definitely won't be Umbridge, Hermione. Dumbledore wouldn't allow another moron from the Ministry of Magic set foot on Hogwarts."  
  
"Wish it's Lupin," Ron said wistfully.  
  
Hermione shook her head thoughtfully. "I don't think so. Professor Lupin's busy doing work for the Order of the Phoenix, right? I bet Dumbledore's found some new blood to take the D.A.D.A. post."  
  
Suddenly, with a lurch, the Hogwarts Express, the train which would be soon taking them to Hogwarts School, stopped abruptly. Exchanging looks of confusion, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up and shoved open the door. Hermione and Ron, who had hurried ahead of Harry, stopped in alarm when they saw their friend drop to one knee on the corridor, one hand on his lightning-shaped scar, the other clinging for support on the door jamb.  
  
"What's the matter, Harry?" Ron asked worriedly.  
  
"Voldemort," Harry gasped out. Ignoring the looks of alarm on his friend's faces, he tried to stand up on wobbly knees. "He's. happy."  
  
More people were pouring out from the train's compartments, all of them curious, some with expressions of worry and fear on their faces. Ever since the Ministry had admitted that the Dark Lord, Voldemort, had really returned, everyone in the wizarding world had been on guard, never knowing when he might strike.  
  
'Well,' Harry thought grimly as the throbbing on his forehead decreased to a numbing pain. 'Voldemort has finally grown tired of waiting.'  
  
Several fifth-years were going down the stairs of the train, headed outside, and Harry, Ron and Hermione followed suit, wands drawn. Outside, they scanned the surroundings, noting the grim silence of the green fields and grazing pastures of the country in which they had halted. Something was horribly wrong here. Harry could practically feel it.  
  
Walking a little ways away from a cluster of excited first years, Harry found himself facing Terry Boot, Neville Longbottom, Parvati Patil and her twin sister, Padma, Lavender Brown, Hannah Abbott, Luna Lovegood and a few of their friends, all of which had been part of Dumbledore's Army, the group of Hogwarts students to whom he had taught Defense Against Dark Arts the previous year. They were all looking slightly panicky, but to his approval, they all had their wands out as well.  
  
"Harry," Terry said, nodding at him.  
  
"Oh, Harry, what do you think's happened?" Hannah asked him, round face puckered up in worry.  
  
Harry opened his mouth to answer, about to say that he had no idea what was happening, when suddenly, just a few meters away from where the train had stopped, where a small grass-covered hill stood, appeared almost two dozen hooded figures, all carrying wands. Their faces were covered, shadowed by the hoods they wore, but a chill ran down Harry's back as he recognized them.  
  
"Death Eaters," he whispered.  
  
There were twenty-four of the hooded people in all, and one by one, the students began turning, curious as to why their friends had fallen silent. With growing horror, they saw the threat, and while some of the more faint-hearted began rushing back to get inside the train, some of the older students, began pulling out their wands, feeling fearful as they did so.  
  
The tallest shrouded figure, who appeared to be the leader, raised his wand and pointed it at the students. Harry, who had been frozen rigid a few seconds earlier, snapped back to reality, his eyes widening as the Death Eater looked up and he glimpsed the blood red eyes standing out brightly from the pale face. It was a face that held no trace of pity or compassion in it, and just looking at it made his blood run cold.  
  
"Harry," Hermione whimpered, one hand tightly clutching his arm, the other on her wand. He noted that she was trembling slightly.  
  
"We'll fight them," he whispered to his friends, his voice carrying over to where Ernie and the others stood. He could see them nodding in his peripheral vision. "On the count of three."  
  
"One."  
  
They raised their wands simultaneously. He could see the leader's smirk growing as he raised a single eyebrow at them.  
  
"Two."  
  
In unison, the Death Eaters raised their wands as well.  
  
Suddenly, before Harry could say 'three', a ball of white, blinding light dropped right between where the train and the Death Eaters were facing off. It flickered for a moment, and Harry thought he glimpsed a pink core inside it, before it suddenly exploded.  
  
Dust and dirt rose up in a cloud and Harry raised his sleeve to cover his face, shielding his eyes and mouth from the billowing waves of dust that had risen from the center. Somewhere around him, he could hear the others coughing aloud. Apparently, they hadn't shielded their faces as quickly as he had.  
  
After a few seconds, the dust finally settled down, and they saw.  
  
Author's Note: A Cliffhanger and it's just the start of the story. If it isn't obvious enough, this is an HP CCS Crossover. Harry and his friends are in their sixth year here. Some spoilers in store about the HP Book Five.  
  
Anyways, I just wanted to ask which couple you favored more:  
  
Hermione & Draco Ron & Meiling Meiling & Draco Hermione & Ron  
  
I need answers, people! Review and tell me what you think of the story, please! Should I continue or should I just trash this fic and forget it ever existed? : ) 


	2. The Meeting

When Magics Collide  
  
A CardCaptor Sakura and Harry Potter Crossover Fan fiction  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
You couldn't possibly think that CLAMP and J.K. ROWLING would sell CCS and Harry Potter to me, could you? So there's your answer. It doesn't belong to me.  
  
Chapter One:  
  
When the white glowing ball of light finally disappeared, appearing to melt around the sides like cheese on toasted bread, five unknown people suddenly became visible to Harry Potter.  
  
The first that drew his attention was a dark-haired male dressed in black and midnight blue robes. On his right hand, he held a golden staff almost twice as tall as him, with the end topped by a large, slightly elongated sun. Standing next to him was a female with shiny auburn hair brushing just past her shoulders. Dressed in long, flowing robes of white and different shades of pink, she was also clutching a staff as tall as the first male, though this one was pink and gold. The top of the staff was a large golden star with long, angelic wings extending from either side of it. Next to her was a boy who was slightly taller; wearing robes slightly similar in design to the one the girl was wearing, though it was obviously cut in a more masculine style. It was done in shades of green, gold, and black, and on the back was the unmistakable symbol of the Chinese yin-yang. Standing next to him was a girl with long black hair tied back in a high ponytail. She was wearing robes of white, red, and gold. The bottom part of her outfit was a little shorter than the previous girl's, reaching to just below the knees. At the opposite end was another girl, silky raven hair reaching to almost halfway her back. Her robes were the feminine version of the guy holding the golden staff, as if they had been specially designed to match.  
  
"What--?" Ron asked in confusion. "Who're they?"  
  
"How should we know?" Terry replied waspishly, staring at the five people in shock as well. After all, it wasn't everyday that you find two dozen Death Eaters just seconds from attacking you and then having five weirdly, if not elegantly dressed people appearing in the middle.  
  
Suddenly, one Death Eater, who apparently had recovered from his shock, shook his head and began to point his wand at the newcomers instead.  
  
In a deep, booming sort of voice, he shouted, "AVADA KEDAV-!!"  
  
Before he finished however, the girl wearing red and gold dropped to one knee and without further ado, plunged both hands into the ground, so that the soft dirt hid all her fingers. Her whole body glowed red for a second, and there was a small pause, before the ground suddenly began rumbling and shaking. Before their very eyes, trees suddenly began sprouting, growing at an incredibly fast pace where the Death Eaters were standing. They were not just ordinary trees, too. This looked dark and ominous, with large, black fan-shaped leaves and thick trunks, with violet vines hanging around. Within seconds, there was no trace of the Death Eaters anymore.  
  
"Bloody Hell!" Ron shouted in mixed shock and awe. All the others were gaping open-mouthed at the five.  
  
'How did they do that?' Harry thought in shock.  
  
Suddenly, the raven-haired boy turned around so that Harry could see his face. A pair of glasses covered his blue eyes, and his face was very fine-featured. With a swish of his cloak, he began walking towards them, followed by the other four.  
  
"Nice work, Meiling," they heard auburn-haired girl praise her friend, who lifted her chin proudly.  
  
"I've been practicing," Meiling replied proudly. They fell silent when they were standing a few feet from Harry and the others.  
  
"Harry Potter," the black-haired guy said softly.  
  
The other girl, who had been silent, inclined her head and gave him a soft smile. "It's nice to finally meet the Boy-who-Lived."  
  
Harry finally managed to close his mouth. His mouth opened and closed two times, before words finally came out. "Who.who are you people?" He finally asked.  
  
"Now is not the time for introductions, Harry Potter. We still have work to do," the dark-robed magician said in a smooth voice.  
  
The other male, who had incredibly messy chestnut brown hair that nevertheless looked attractive framing his roughly handsome face, said with a small grimace, "I hope that work involves getting rid of the idiots who are gaping at us from the windows." His amber eyes flashed as he nodded towards the train in disdain.  
  
They all turned simultaneously and found out that he was right indeed. All the Hogwarts students, who had retreated back to the train upon seeing the Death Eaters, were now staring down at them in avid interest, noses pressed against the windowsills. A few brave ones were actually debating very loudly on whether to step down the train to get a better view.  
  
"Don't be rude, Syaoran-kun," the girl wielding the star staff rebuked softly with a soft smile directed to the male. Said male then proceeded to blush slightly, though his face actually did soften in response. "And don't you even try to film this, Tomoyo-chan," she warned, wagging a playful finger at the dark-haired girl.  
  
The purple-robed female giggled in response and inclined her head again.  
  
The curious voice of Luna Lovegood broke through. "Are you all mutated dragons? I've heard of those," she asked curiously.  
  
Ron, Hermione, and the others stared at her, though the five seemed unaffected by her question. "We're not dragons," Tomoyo assured.  
  
"I detest those creatures, personally," the one they had called Meiling said with a delicate shudder. "Never really liked them."  
  
"You're just saying that because the last dragon you tried to have as a pet tried to burn your garden," said Amber-Eyes.  
  
"Anyway, let's get back to business, shall we?" Cool Guy said briskly. "Harry Potter, is there some way for you and your friends to contact the Ministry of Magic to tell them that there are currently two dozen Death Eaters held captive here?"  
  
"Yes. We could send them a note using Owl Post," Harry replied, still feeling a little confused.  
  
Blue eyes nodded with a faintly satisfied air. "Excellent. Meanwhile, we need to do a scout of the train, see if there're any unwanted.guests left." He said meaningfully.  
  
Tomoyo nodded at him. "We'll do it, Eriol." Beckoning to Meiling, they strode towards the train, where the crowd of onlookers immediately parted to let them pass.  
  
The auburn-haired girl sighed, beautiful emerald green eyes glittering as she raised an eyebrow at them. "I suppose you want me to alert the Headmaster of what has happened?"  
  
"Your naïveté has certainly been long gone, Sakura-san." Eriol said, flashing her a charming grin.  
  
The chestnut brown-haired guy stepped forward. "I'll accompany you, Ying-Fa."  
  
The young woman smiled, then shook her head. Raising a delicate hand, she caressed his cheek lovingly. "It's no problem, Xiao Lang. I can go alone. Besides, Eriol-kun here will probably need you for something."  
  
Said person gave a small innocent smile.  
  
With another small smile, she stepped backwards away from them, waved, closed her eyes, and with a slight pop and a faint throb of pink light, disappeared from their sight.  
  
Syaoran sighed and turned to Eriol, only to be taken aback by the slightly sinister gaze the magician was sending his way. "Cute little descendant."  
  
"Don't. Call. Me. That." Syaoran snarled, ignoring the weird looks the others were throwing his way as he backed away from Eriol.  
  
Eriol sighed. "Fine then. Would you just please go up? We need a look out, in case there any more unexpected surprises."  
  
Syaoran shrugged, then with a slight tensing of the muscles on his legs, leapt up and executed a flawless somersault before landing on the metal roof of the train soundlessly.  
  
Eyes popping, Neville gaped at him. "How did he do that?!"  
  
"Easily." Eriol replied. With another swish of his cloak, he began walking, reaching the entrance of the train before turning back to them. "You had best get on the train. We will be reaching Hogwarts shortly." With that, he disappeared into the train.  
  
Harry and the others immediately hurried after him.  
  
To Be Continued.  
  
~*~ THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE LOVELY PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED!~*~  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Mga kababayan ko, basahin niyo 'to!  
  
I'm sorry if I can't say thanks individually to all those nice people who reviewed. I appreciate all the good feedback and inspiration, so thank you, minna. Anyway, in the voting that I was running, it seems as if the Meiling/Draco, Hermione/Ron pairing is going to win. Nevertheless, voting is still open, so if the other pairings manage to catch up, well.  
  
Also, I'd like to assure everyone that yes, this will have lots of S & S moments in the future chapters. I adore that couple just as much as you do, though I am very open-minded with other pairings.  
  
I'd like to remind everyone that comments and suggestions are very much welcome.  
  
Thanks again for all the reviews, minna! 


	3. The One of a Kind Entrance

When Magics Collide  
  
A CardCaptor Sakura and Harry Potter Crossover Fanfiction  
  
By Marie-Claire  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply  
  
"Hey, mate, d'you know who's going to be the new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher this year?" Ron asked Harry as the trio strolled through the double doors on their way to the Great Hall.  
  
"Ask Mione. She's the prefect isn't she? To think about it, you're a prefect as well, aren't you?" Harry replied.  
  
"I don't know anything about it," Hermione said, then glared at Ron when he let out a mock gasp of surprise at her proclamation that she knew nothing about the matter just like them. "Professor Dumbledore hasn't told the prefects anything about it. I expect we'll find out about it later, though."  
  
They entered the Great Hall and went to sit with the Gryffindor Table, where a lot of their friends were already at. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas waved and nodded at them from near the front, while Colin and Dennis Creevey, self-proclaimed, die-harid fans of Harry went red and immediately to whisper to each other. Harry was chagrined to see that the two siblings now had individual cameras, and were already trying to focus it to take pictures of Harry. Trying to sink lower into his seat as he ran a hand through his hair to flatten it down, he happened to glance at the Head Table and was stunned by what he saw.  
  
Or what he didn't see, actually.  
  
"Where are the teachers?"  
  
At the Head Table, more than four of the seats were empty, including the one normally occupied by Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys of Hogwarts who had been their Care of Magical Creatures teacher for almost three years, as well as Professor Trelawney's seat, who had been their teacher in Divination until the latter part of their fifth year when she had been replaced for a short time by Firenze, a centaur of the Forbidden Forest. Even Professor Sprout, who was the Hufflepuff's head of house, was missing. The Defense Against Dark Arts position seemed to be unoccupied again, as usual.  
  
"What gives?" Ron said.  
  
"They can't possibly be all gone!" Harry said incredulously.  
  
Apparently, this thought had occurred to a lot of people. All around them, the students were whispering furtively to each other, worry and fear showing clearly on their faces as they gazed up at the sinister blank seats at the Head Table. Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, seemed unaffected by the whisperings, however, and was twiddling his thumbs as he talked with Professor McGonagall, the Transfigurations professor and Head of House of Gryffindor. He was wearing robes of a shocking purple color, and it contrasted greatly with the unusual orange wizard hat he was sporting.  
  
After all the students were present and accounted for, the incoming first years were led in by Professor Snape, another weird thing, since it was usually Professor McGonagall who led the newcomers. Harry was taken aback by the unusually haggard appearance of the Potions Master, though he still found reason to snap at a Hufflepuff student for sticking out a foot too far as he passed. Even Professor McGonagall looked more stressed out than usual, her hat a little askew. Her eyes were droopy and dark rings were surrounding them, though they looked as sharp as ever.  
  
After the Sorting Hat finished the shortest song it had sung in all time, (only two stanzas) all about not breaking ranks and being on guard all the time, they commenced on into The Sorting whcih took an unusually long time, since there seemed to be a lot more new students. Finally when the Sorting was finished, Dumbledore clapped his hands and stood up, looking expectantly at the closed doors of the Great Hall.  
  
When a few seconds passed and nothing happened, a few people began to look curiously at Dumbledore. "Honestly! What's his problem?" Hermione said irritatedly. She had been bickering with Ron earlier on and was apparently not in the best of moods.  
  
Suddenly, a shout from a second year Ravenclaw made them all swivel in their seats. They all turned to stare as the air in front of the doors shimmered suddenly, like moving water. It was glowing iridescently as well, an unnatural light blue light coming from within.  
  
Then, a foot stepped out from the shimmering expanse and they all gasped as five people stepped out, looking quite unruffled as they began walking away from the shimmer. When the last person, a girl whose raven hair was tied back in a high ponytail stepped out, the air shimmered again before settling finally.  
  
"It's them!" said Ron, who was goggling at the mysterious quintet as they passed by their table. They stopped a foot away from the High Table, all facing Dumbledore, and bowed simultaneously.  
  
Dumbledore smiled at them, and nodded towards the students who were all watching their every move. "Students, I am sure that you have noticed that a few of your teachers are not here. They are all currently busy with a lot of things, which results in their unavailability this school year. Fear not, however, as I have managed to come up with new teachers to take up their positions." He waved a slightly bony hand over the newcomers and they took it as their cue to introduce themselves.  
  
The auburn-haired female with the sparkling green eyes stepped forward first and looked at them all with apparent cheerfulness, though there was a small mysterious glint in her emerald orbs. "Hello, students of Hogwarts. I'm Sakura Avalon and I will be in charge of the Care of Magical Creatures Department as well as Divination."  
  
"She's taking Hagrid's place?!" Harry said in a shocked whisper. "And Divination as well?"  
  
Hermione had lost the look of irritation on her face, her expression one of awe and faint envy. "She's so young. I don't think she's a lot older than us and she's already teaching? How could Dumbledore allow that?!"  
  
Next stepped the azure eyed, bespectacled guy who was smiling mischievously, albeit mysteriously at them. "Eriol Hiragizawa, at your service," he said in a cool, urbane voice, which was immediately followed by heartfelt sighs from the female population. "I will be teaching Defense Against Dark Arts this year and only this year, as a special favor to someone I would rather not name." Then he paused and his smiled became steely. "I am a tough taskmaster, though I do not look it, and will brook no disruption in my class." After that, his smile became playful again and he stepped back to converse with the girl with wavy raven hair at his side.  
  
Amber eyes flashed as a chestnut brown-haired boy moved forward to gaze with impassiveness at everyone. "The Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts have agreed to form a new course, called Practical and Magical Defense. I am Xiao Lang Li and will be your teacher for that class, which is a required course for every year." He inclined his head slightly towards the sea of faces looking up at him and gave them all a slightly threatening glare. "I expect full cooperation from every person in my class. Don't make me hurt you."  
  
Next came the wavy-haired girl with the gently elegant features. "I am Tomoyo Daidouji, from Japan, here to be your new professor in Muggle Studies. It is a pleasure to be here," she said in a gracious voice.  
  
Finally, the last girl stepped forward. "I am Meiling Li, taking the place of your Herbology teacher temporarily." When a few Hufflepuffs sent her worried glances, she grinned at them and said, "Professor Sprout, will, however, remain the head of Hufflepuff House even in her absence."  
  
"They're all teachers?!" Ron exclaimed, dumbstruck.  
  
"I can't believe it!"  
  
A coldly malicious voice suddenly floated above the din of voices coming from the Slytherin Table. Harry turned to glare at Draco Malfoy, their Slytherin archenemy whose father is currently in Azkaban, the Wizard Prison, for having been caught helping Voldemort. "Just what is this pathetic excuse for a school coming to anyway?" He said with a sneer to his friends. "Imagine, hiring children to teach? I mean-" Suddenly, his ice- blue eyes widened and he clutched at his throat with one hand, making frantic gestures with the other.  
  
"I think he could do with remaining in silence for a while, right, Li?" Professor Hiragizawa told the other guy with a satisfied smile, his wand still raised and pointed at the Slytherin Table's general direction.  
  
Professor Li smirked in reply and crossed his arms. "Absolutely, Hiragizawa," he replied, ignoring Professor Snape's outraged glare and the other student's faintly awed expressions. "Why not make it permanent, though?" He added, beginning to raise his wand as well.  
  
A hand on his arm and laughing green eyes stopped him from cursing Malfoy to silent oblivion forever, though, and he turned to see Sakura with a teasing smile. "Don't go all spell-crazy on us, Syaoran-kun. It's just our first day here."  
  
"Aw, Sakura, you're way too nice," Meiling said. After all, she had also taken out her wand in preparation.  
  
"She's my cousin. Of course she's nice!" Tomoyo said.  
  
"That was unbelievable!" Neville Longbottom squeaked from his seat, leaning forward with wide eyes to goggle at the new teachers.  
  
"What's so unbelievable about that?" Ron asked clueless annoyance. "He just performed a Silencing Charm to shut Malfoy up. I could have done that!" he boasted.  
  
"Not that kind of charm, you can't," Hermione retorted. "That wasn't a simple Silencing Charm."  
  
"What Mione means is that he didn't even say 'Silencio' or anything else to make the spell work. That's kinda unusual, don't you think?" Harry told Ron. "And remember, it took just one of them to defeat and capture those Death Eaters. If that isn't proof that they're unnaturally powerful, then I don't know what is."  
  
Ron's eyes widened as if that reason had just finally dawned on him.  
  
Hermione shook her head at him as she speared a fat shrimp that had appeared on one of the golden plates on the table. "Slow, isn't he?"  
  
Harry opened his mouth to speak, then met Ron's slightly red face and furious glare, and settled for sighing instead. 


	4. The Fight

When Magics Collide  
  
A CardCaptor Sakura and Harry Potter Crossover  
  
By: Marie-Claire  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply  
  
"I cannot believe you dragged me from the tower this early in the morning to get more info about our blessedly wonderful professors who are all currently not HERE!" Harry growled at Ron and Hermione, who at least had the decency to look a little shamed.  
  
"Well.at least for once, we won't be late, eh?" Ron offered.  
  
Harry snorted, "That was not comforting." He rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly, then adjusted his glasses as he took a swig of the frosty goblet of pumpkin juice sitting by his elbow.  
  
"Here's something to cheer you up, Harry. Look at your schedule," Hermione ordered, deeply engrossed in hers as well.  
  
"Yeah?" Picking up his schedule, his eyes widened as he saw the writing on the parchment and a pleased grin made its way across his face.  
  
"Potions time has been reduced because of the new course to be taught by Professor Xiao Lang?!"  
  
"Yeah!" Ron cheered, pumping a fist into the air.  
  
Hermione nodded, "However, I think you should refrain from calling the Professor by his given name. I heard one of the first years addressed him by it and got his head chewed off. He wants everyone calling him by just Professor or Li, since they aren't that much older than us."  
  
"Weird guy," Ron said with a shake of his head.  
  
"Yeah, well, I think you should change your opinion. He's our first subject."  
  
"That's nice." Ron replied absently as he chewed on a mouth full of pancakes.  
  
"And his class starts in about twenty minutes!" Hermione shrieked.  
  
"That's not nice." Ron replied again.  
  
All around them, the Gryffindor sixth years, as well as the Hufflepuffs, Slytherins, and Ravenclaw fifth years who would all be sharing the class with them, another first, hurried up as well.  
  
* ~ ~ *  
  
Standing atop of a cushioned mat wearing black sweatpants and a plain, not extremely tight, but fitting white t-shirt, Syaoran addressed his first class for the day.  
  
"This course was created for the sole purpose of providing all of you ways to defend yourselves against threats when you are wandless or not particularly good in Defense Against Dark Arts. While not really fool proof, physical combat is still effective and is great for raising your capacity and stamina for magical performances."  
  
"And blah blah blah with another blah," one Slytherin boy named Tartarus Leis mock-whispered from the back, earning several snickers from his comrades and a smirk from Malfoy.  
  
".and I will not tolerate disobedience or rudeness in my class, Lei. Perhaps you would want me to make a demonstration out of you?" Syaoran asked, his cold golden gaze cutting through the Slytherin, whose smirk had slightly faltered.  
  
"With all due respect, Professor, that is hardly fair." Pansy Parkinson, another Slytherin, purred maliciously with what she probably hoped was a seductive expression. "You are so obviously trained, while Lei is more proficient with magic than fists. Perhaps if one of your companions, who are not as skilled, could fight in your place?"  
  
"Just what are you suggesting, Parkinson?"  
  
"Why not let Professor Kinimoto fight in your place, Professor Xiao Lang? She seems to be the weakest in your group. I think that would only be fair."  
  
Syaoran's eyes hardened and barely restrained fury glinted in his eyes as he worked hard to stare impassively at the impudently idiotic girl who had managed to insult his love and himself in one breath.  
  
"I do not remember giving you permission to use my given name, Ms. Parkinson. However, if you so want to see Professor Kinimoto fight.as she is a. weakling, as you said earlier." He turned to the blank wall behind him. Lifting one hand, he extended it towards the gray stone wall and pushed, as if pushing open a door. Immediately, the surface of the wall shimmered and appeared the image of the bubbly sorceress appeared. She looked surprised, standing in the doorway of some room, before she smiled, seeing who had called upon her.  
  
"Xiao Lang, what is it?"  
  
Everyone gasped, immediately dreading their professor's probable reaction at someone calling him by his true name, when they were even more shocked when his face softened the slightest bit, the corners of his mouth lifting up just a little.  
  
"Could you please come here for a moment, Ying Fa?"  
  
Harry leaned over to Hermione to ask, "What did he just call her?"  
  
"Ying. Fa?" Hermione repeated. "I wonder what it means."  
  
"How about you, Ron?" Harry turned, only to find his male best friend staring avidly at the image of the female with a very red flush on his ears and cheeks.  
  
"Wha-Harry?"  
  
"Never mind, Ron. Go back to sleep," Harry said jokingly, making Ron's ears even more red.  
  
"Whatever for, Xiao Lang?" Sakura asked, brow a little furrowed.  
  
"A couple of my students," here he gave a pause to glare at Lei and Pansy, who both flushed, "seem to doubt what little is there of your abilities in martial arts." The students gasped again as they heard what they thought was an insult directed to the girl. They did not see, however, the faint glint of humor in the Li Clan leader's eyes as he smirked at the girl.  
  
An identical smirk appeared on Sakura's face. "Oh, they do?"  
  
A flash, and suddenly, Sakura was standing right beside Syaoran.  
  
"What the?!"  
  
"How the hog sh*t did she manage to do that?"  
  
"Did she apparate?!" Ron asked, his eyes bulging.  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you, Ron?" Hermione said exasperatedly. "You can't apparate or disapparate in Hogwarts! Besides, she's barely seventeen. She can't be old enough to take the test! That just isn't normal procedure."  
  
"Well, Dumbledore thinks they're old enough to teach. That isn't normal, is it? Apparating must be a piece of cake to them." Harry replied wisely.  
  
"Hell, yeah!" A voice said from behind them.  
  
Harry and his friends whirled around in surprise, to find the three other new professors grinning at them.  
  
Hermione recovered first. Seeming eager to get on the good side of the new teachers, she said smartly, "Professors, what-" But Tomoyo waved her words away with a casual wave of her hand and a soft smile.  
  
"No need for formality when we are not in class, Hermione. You can call me Tomoyo."  
  
"Eriol, and pleased to meet you all."  
  
"Likewise," Harry replied.  
  
"I'm Meilin, and yeah, what Tomoyo said. I'm just your age after all, and Syaoran and Sakura's just seventeen. Tomoyo and Eriol are the old foggies here," she said with a wicked grin, ignoring both Eriol and Tomoyo's glares, "what with them being eighteen and all."  
  
"Really?! And you're all teaching at that age?" Hermione said, disbelief clearly written on her face.  
  
"Everything has a reason, Hermione." Eriol answered with another of his famously patented mysterious smiles. "Same as with our coming here at this time. You'll find out soon, I expect."  
  
"Maybe a whole lot sooner," Meilin muttered. "You three have the rep of nosing in on business that doesn't concern you, unfortunately."  
  
The trio reddened considerably.  
  
"However, we admire you all for trying to do what you can for Hogwarts and the Wizarding World even though it doesn't seem to want your help, so we can let that go." Tomoyo assured them, and then with twinkling eyes looked towards the center of the mats where Sakura and Tartarus were facing each other off.  
  
Syaoran looked highly satisfied with the Slytherin boy's slight shaking. Giving the signal for the match to start, he walked over to where Eriol, Harry and the others were standing.  
  
"My cute little descendant!" Eriol said cutely as he started bouncing forward with arms open wide as if to hug the Li Clan leader.  
  
A nerve popped anime' style on Syaoran's forehead and he held up a fist. "Come closer and I'll make sure that Tomoyo won't have to put armholes on the next batch of costumes that she'll make you!"  
  
Pouting, Eriol went back to his previous place beside Tomoyo, but not before sticking out his tongue at Syaoran.  
  
"O.kay." Ron said, still goggling at Eriol.  
  
"Ignore them," Meilin whispered to the three. "They're all just way weird."  
  
"I heard that, Meilin!"  
  
"Oh, just shut up, you. Sakura's fighting!"  
  
They all turned to look in interest, although they weren't sure if they could properly classify what Sakura was doing as fighting. Even though Tartarus seemed to be throwing every bit of his strength into his punches, Sakura was not responding in kind, instead choosing to just dodge every one of his blows. No one seemed to know what to make of this one-sided match, though it was very fascinating watching Sakura move with almost fluid grace, managing to evade each and every blow at just the right second.  
  
Tartarus finally grew tired, and he propped his hands on his knees and bent over, panting heavily. It was at this moment that Sakura finally chose to strike. With such speed that few saw her  
  
move, she had attacked, dropping low to the ground and stretching out her leg in a sweeping arc that swept at the boy's feet and sent him to the floor.  
  
"Match over." Syaoran announced as he walked briskly to the mats once more. "Are you satisfied now, Lei, Parkinson?"  
  
Pansy didn't even bother to reply, she was seething in anger. Lei slunk off the mats sulkily, his face an embarrassed shade of carrot red, much like Ron's hair.  
  
Draco however, seemed to think the brief show was not enough. "I want to show what real fighting looks like, professor," he said in a challenging voice. "Certainly, that's not all there is to it. If it is, then I don't see the point of taking this class."  
  
"Why that no good, stinking ugly ferret!" Meilin whispered furiously. She waved off Harry and the other's incredulous looks at her. "Yeah, yeah, we know all about what happened during your fourth year. Really kinda lame, if you ask me. Imagine, just a bouncing ferret?! I would have turned him into a toadstool allergic to toads, freaky little thing that he is."  
  
"Don't worry, Meilin." Eriol said, although he was also sending Malfoy a disapproving frown. "Sakura and my cute little descendant will work it out."  
  
Sakura, who, instead of becoming annoyed, seemed to have become even more amused. "They want to see a real fight, Xiao Lang. Let's show them, then."  
  
"You challenge me, Ying Fa?" Syaoran asked with hardly any emotion, though the glint of amusement in his eyes was visible to Sakura.  
  
"I dare, Li." Sakura answered, deliberately using Syaoran's last name.  
  
"Fine, then, Kinimoto." Syaoran growled out, catching on. He raised his hand to his throat, and then flung it downwards. A flash of white light pulsed in his hand, and they suddenly saw him holding a sword with a heavy- looking blade, its edge reflecting the light from the candles. He bent his knees slightly and raised his sword above his head horizontally, the point facing Sakura, the tassel tangled in his hands.  
  
In response, Sakura threw her hand out sidewards. This time, blue light exploded in her hands, and when it faded, she was suddenly holding a staff only a little shorter than her. It was silver, with a smooth polished surface, although ornate carvings were done at the top in blue. It had a slightly curved blade at the top, with a blue and black tassel below it the swished as she brought the point of the staff down. She also bent down and changed grips, clutching at the staff tightly with both hands.  
  
"Where did those weapons come from?" Seamus Finnigan asked his friend.  
  
"Dunno and don't care. They just look amazing though, don't they?" Lavendor Brown replied, gazing avidly at Sakura's deadly beautiful staff.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm sure that Prof. Li will probably win this match. He's the male, after all." Somebody from Ravenclaw said very loudly."  
  
Apparently, a girl from Hufflepuff saw it fit to defend her own gender. "That's the most chauvinistic, stupid male thing I have ever heard, McMillan! Prof. Kinimoto will win for sure!"  
  
"What are they doing?! They could get hurt!" Hermione said, ringing her hands nervously.  
  
"Mione's right. Shouldn't you guys be doing something to stop them?"  
  
Eriol sighed dramatically. "Harry, Harry, Harry. There's certainly a lot you don't understand about us if you even think that we could ever, ever hurt any of our friends. We certainly may not be the most normal bunch of people you could ever hope to meet, but we are friends first and foremost."  
  
"We are not traitors, Harry." Tomoyo said firmly.  
  
"Yeah, and anybody who betrays us will pay a high price." Meilin said viciously. "A very high price."  
  
While Hermione looked slightly unnerved by the declaration of the three, Harry was impressed by their testimonials. He almost felt envious!  
  
Simultaneous battle cries attracted their attention, and they turned back to the match just in time to see Sakura and Syaoran charge at each other with speed equal to each other. Sakura brought her staff swinging into a full downward arc, in an attempt to knock Syaoran's sword off his hands. Knowing that to counter the powerful attack would be fruitless, Syaoran opted for bringing the flat of his blade against Sakura's staff, effectively pushing it to the side, and then twisting to aim for a kick at Sakura. Accurately reading what Syaoran was about to do, the cherry blossom backflipped away, then twirled her staff with one hand before sweeping at little wolf's knees. He, however, merely somersaulted over her head, then pushed the hilt of the sword forward. The Card Mistress was not there anymore, however. She had managed to roll away, springing up to her feet once more with a handspring as they both sank once again into offensive stances, casually staring at each other with slight smiles at each other from opposite ends of the mat.  
  
For once, Hermione seemed to have ran out of words to say. "That was-that was-"  
  
"Bloody Hell! That was amazing!" Ron supplied. This woke up the crowd from its awed silence, and suddenly, the air was ringing with the cheers and claps of the students, except for the Slytherins who were all either gaping in disbelief or frowning at the fighters in annoyance.  
  
"Now that, my dears, is a fight." 


End file.
